Telegraph-key



(No Model.)

W. BEATS. A *TELE-GRAPH KEY.

No. 554,112. Paten'td Peb. 4, 1896.

, A TTORNEK ANDREW BLRAMAM.PHGTWUHIQWASNINGTDN-C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM DEATS, OF AMAVAIJK, NEIV YORK.

TEL'EeRAPH-KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,112, dated February 4, 1896.

Application tiled June 16, 1894. Serial No. 514,802. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DEArs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Amawalk, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph-Keys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to telegraph transmitting-keys, and has for its object to improve, simplify, and reduce the cost of construction of the same, and also to provide an improved construction of switch for keys in closed circuit, and in order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to understand and use the same I will proceed to describe the details of its construction, explain its operation, and subsequently point out in the appended claims its novel characteristics.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a slide elevation, enlarged, showing my improved key, the line being closed; Fig. 2, a longitudinal central section of Fig. 1, the line being open for sending; Fig. 3, a plan View of Fig. l; Fig. 4, an inverted plan view of the key removed from the base; and Fig. 5, a cross-section atm zo, Fig. l.

By my improved construction I mount the key-lever A upon a single pivot-post B, secured in the base C. The post B has transversely-projecting pivot-arms b Z9. The keyA straddles the post B under the arms ZJ o and has grooves a a to fit the arms in such manner as to prevent any lateral shake of the key. The contact of said arms and grooves may be V-shaped, or they may be semicircular, as shown.

rlhe key A is provided with a mortise c, the surfaces d d of which exactly fit the diam eter of the post B to fix the Vertical plane of motionof the key. The mortise c is so elongated i`n the length of the key that the key maybe readily lifted o from the post by swinging it around at right angles to its normal position to clear the arms b b, as indicated by dotted vlines in Fig. 3. v

The key is kept up on its bearings ZJ b by means of the spring D. The tension of spring D is regulated by means of the thimble-screw E, having a receptacle e for the spring. There is advantage in locating the thimble-screw E in the base C in lieu of on the key A, as heretofore, inasmuch as the vibrating motion of the key will not aect alignment of the thimble with the opposite end of the spring. The adjustment of the spring is moreover less liable to be disturbed owing to the protected position of the thimble. Any other form of spring may be employed.

F is the front contact or anvil and G the back-stop. The anvil F is insulated from the base C and one wire of the circuit connected to the post H. The other wire of the circuit is connected to the post I, electrically connected to the base C, post B, and key A, said posts serving to attach the key to the .table in the usual manner. The back-stop G is regulated by the screw g and jam-nut h. The contact c' is electrically connected to the key A.

The knob K is pivoted in the end of the keylever A, carrying with it a stud k and switch m. The lever is provided with an insulated switch-contact n connected by an insulated wire o with the insulated post H. A groove p is provided in the under side of the key A ,for the reception of the'wire o, and for convenience said wire is carried Vdown through the opening of the coiled spring D and the thimble E, under the base C to the washer r on the post H. The location of the thimble E in the base and the socket f in the lever A is also convenient for this purpose, said socket terminating the groove p.

I provide the knob K with a visible indicator of any suitable character to indicate conspicuously its rotative position. I prefer to employ a bicolored knob, or one having white and black half-sections M and N. Upon the ordinary black composition insulated knob a panel of ivory or celluloid may be inlaid in the manner indicated in Fig. l.

The switch m is controlled by a quarterturn of the knob K, and its beveled surface s insures a firm contact in the closed position. A suitable stop, such as t, limits the open position of the switch.

When the switch is in an open position for sending, as in Fig. 2, the dividing line o U of the bicolored knob stands lengthwise of the key-lever A, as in Fig. 3, and when the switch is in a position for closing the line while the key is not in use, as in Fig. l, the line o o' IOO stands crosswise of the length of the key-lever A, thus rendering the position of the switch at all times clear and unmistakable.

Any form of switch may be employed in connection with the bieolored knob or other self-indicating knob Within the scope ol' my invention.

The key-lever A may be cast, forged, dropforged, or stamped from metal plate, or from sheet metal suitably embossed to give requisite stiffness and to form the groove p.

In the oldstyle sidear1n switch the handle proj ectng prominently is liable to be displaced by the arm, hand, or book of the operator striking or crowding it in offices Where the table is used for instruments and clerical Work. Ilenee it frequently happens that when the switch is opened by accident it is not apparent to the eye and mueh delay and trouble are caused in locating the break. By means of my invention this trouble is obviated.

I am aware that rotary switchknobs on telegraph-keys, and also tongue-and-groove bearings of the key on the base-standards, have been shown and described in certain patents heretofore. Ilenee I do not unqualiiedly claim said features; but

That I do claim, and desire to seeure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination, a transmitting-key lever, a rotary operating-knob thereon, a circuitswiteh having one Contact mounted upon the knob or knob-spindle, and the other Contact mounted on said lever.

2. In a telegraplrtransmitter, the Combination of a single post having laterally-projecting arms, and a key-lever located below said arms straddling said post and bearing against said arms.

In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with the pivot-post having laterally-proj eeting arms, of a key-lever having a mortise whereby it straddles said. post; said mortise being elongated in the length oi the keylever to exceed the span of said arms, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination of a central pivotpost, having oppositelyprojeeting arms and a key-lever located be louT said arms and mortised to straddle and lit the diameter of said post.

5. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination of a suitable base, a pivot-post having laterally-projecting arms, a key straddling said post, a back-stop, a front contact, and a spring for keeping the key against the said projecting arms of the post.

G. In a telegraph-transmittel', the combination of a central pivot-post having laterallyprojecting arms, and a key-lever located below said arm mortised to straddle said post, and having grooves traversing the key at each side oi the mortise to llt said arms.

7. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination of a base, a keylever located below said arm, a suitable pivotal mounting for the key, a spiral spring for holding the key upivard in a normal posi tion, and a sereW-thimble for the spring mounted in the base, substantially as described.

S. In a telegraph-key, the combination of an operatingknob, a circuit-switch at the extremity ef the key controlled by the rotation of the knob, a grooved conduit on the under side of the key and an insulated cireuitwire therein leaving the key at a point near its pivot and extending through and insulated from the base or mounting of the key.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lNILLLUI BEATS.

Vfitnesses:

D. E. Bllssnrr, AUG. B. Cook. 

